Kirkpatrick's Evaluation of Simulation and Debriefing in Health Care Education: A Systematic Review

Background Simulation is an integral component of health care education. Research suggests a positive relationship between simulation and learning outcomes. Kirkpatrick's framework is a four-level model based on the premise that learning resulting from training programs can be classified into four levels: reaction, learning, behavior, and results. Evaluation of educational impact provides valuable feedback to educators that may assist with development and improvement of teaching methods. Method This review is based on the PRISMA guidelines for conducting a systematic review. Inclusion criteria included articles (a) written in the English language, (b) published between 2000 and 2016, (c) describing a debriefing intervention after high-fidelity patient simulation, and (d) based in health care. Results Thirteen studies met criteria for inclusion in the review. Conclusion Results indicated a paucity of studies at the highest levels of evaluation, indicating an area where future research is needed to assist with the development and improvement of simulation education.